The short answer: Selfie comparison (also called biometric verification) verifies a person's identity by comparing a real-time selfie to their provided ID. Read Identity verification overview for more about identity verification methods.
How it works
First, the person verifying their identity:
- Captures images of their photo ID (such as a driver's license).
- Takes pictures of their face.
Next, the system or an agent compares these photos to confirm the person on the ID matches the person completing the transaction.
When selfie comparison is used
Selfie comparison is used across all Proof transaction types — Sign, Identify, Verify, and Notarize. Depending on how the sender configured the transaction, it may be used as:
- The preferred method of identity verification.
- A backup method if knowledge-based authentication can't be used — read more about fallback to selfie comparison.
For notarizations on the Proof platform, biometrics are accepted as an identity verification method for notaries commissioned by:
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New York
- Pennsylvania
Summary Checklist
- Selfie comparison = real-time selfie matched against the provided ID. Also called biometric verification.
- Used across Sign, Identify, Verify, and Notarize — as preferred method or KBA fallback.
- For notarizations, biometrics are accepted in: MI, NV, NY, PA.
- For multi-signer transactions, selfie comparison only works on co-located signings (shared device).
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